Chapter 44
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Chapter 44
* * *
Rosalind Diasante was a beauty with rose-red hair and jade-green eyes. Her slender waist and voluptuous figure gave her an alluring presence, while her upturned eyes and delicate nose revealed her intellectual nature.
She arrived in Agenka on the afternoon of May 19th, escorted by the mage Nicole Sizton and twenty palace knights. She was immediately shown to the commander's office, where she met with Yurien de Harden Kirie in private.
"It's been a long time, Your Highness Yurien."
"Don't call me Your Highness, Diasant Princess. My nationality is Agenka, not Kirie."
"...I understand, Sir Yurien. Do you remember me?"
"I saw you at your sister's wedding to the Crown Prince, so yes, I remember. I never expected we'd meet again over a betrothal matter, though."
Yurien stood leaning against his desk, arms crossed. His downward gaze was as cold as ice. He spoke with a grinding tone.
"This is the first I'm hearing that you're my betrothed. Did I ever have a betrothed to begin with?"
"Not yet, technically. But we'll be holding the betrothal ceremony soon, so it hardly matters."
"A betrothal ceremony I've never even heard of. How absurd."
"Surely a message was sent?"
"You mean the notification that arrived four days before you showed up?"
"Yes, that one."
Rosalind nodded calmly and sat down on the sofa of her own accord, sensing that Yurien had no intention of offering her a seat. She merely rolled her eyes to glance back at him.
"So, will you refuse? You can't refuse, Sir Yurien. You know better than anyone what it would mean to refuse a betrothal here."
"..."
Yurien's brow furrowed ever so slightly. Rosalind crossed her legs as she sat on the sofa, resting her chin on her hand.
"I thought the Yurien I knew—or rather, Sir Yurien—would accept this calmly, but I'm surprised."
"Do you have no objections to this betrothal, Princess?"
"Objections? Of course I do. But what can I do? It's the duty of nobility. This is marriage in name only—a transaction, really. Still, I'm fortunate that my transaction partner is you. There are several young ladies pining away for you."
Yurien closed his eyes with a weary expression. Rosalind's gaze swept over him as he leaned against the desk. His tired face was beautiful enough to bewitch. She admired him as one would a work of art. After waiting a moment in silence, she spoke quietly.
"So, what will you do, Sir Yurien? Will you declare this an unapproved betrothal and draw your sword against your own blood?"
Eyes as emotionless as glass orbs turned toward Rosalind. The pale man rarely showed expression. Had he been one to smile often, the number of lovesick young ladies might have doubled. Rosalind entertained this thought without interest. Breaking his silence, he answered in a gravelly voice.
"I need time."
"I understand. It's not an easy decision. But don't drag it out too long. Those who sent me are waiting anxiously for results."
"Thank you for the advice."
"For what it's worth, I don't mind if you refuse the betrothal. Honestly, I'd prefer if you did. I don't have the courage to refuse myself. Of course, I'm grateful regardless, and if you truly refuse, I will certainly exact a price."
"A price? What kind?"
"I'll tell you that when you decide to refuse. If you accept the betrothal, there's no need for you to know."
Rosalind tilted her head. She wiggled the hand supporting her chin as she continued.
"Well, I doubt it will ever come to that. You won't be able to refuse in the end, will you? From my perspective, accepting the betrothal isn't entirely unpleasant—because you're the one involved. They say the master of the Holy Sword Langiosa cannot act against justice. I believe you won't be a bad husband."
"...Enough. Leave, Princess. The vice-commander will show you to your quarters."
"Yes. I'll see you again later, Your Highness."
Rosalind bowed without hesitation and withdrew. The door closed with the final rustle of her dress hem. That sound of fabric brought to mind Echinacea Loaz, whom he had encountered this morning.
"I won't make a choice that sacrifices my peace."
He couldn't breathe. It felt as though iron chains wrapped around his entire body, tightening. Yurien de Harden Kirie looked down at his right palm. The golden pattern of the Holy Sword Langiosa glimmered faintly there.
"I know which choice is better. And yet, my heart refuses to obey..."
The pattern flickered briefly, as if in answer.
"Just a little longer. Give me a little more time. ...Until I can give up. Before I lose my mind, I'll make a decision...."
Yurien de Harden Kirie buried his face in his hands. A groan escaped between his fingers.
* * *
"Echinacea!"
Thanks to Alice bringing dinner to the room, Echinacea and Alice shared their evening meal together inside. As she was rinsing her mouth with tea, a familiar voice suddenly called out her nickname and pushed the door open.
"...So it wasn't a private room after all."
Nicole Sizton, draped in a mage's robes, scratched her cheek awkwardly. Echinacea's eyes widened. She set down her spoon and sprang to her feet.
"Nicole!"
"Oh, why are you being so embarrassing?"
When Echinacea suddenly pulled Nicole into an embrace, she grumbled in protest. Yet she hugged her back just the same.
"It's been so long, Echinacea. But you look a bit thinner, don't you? Wait, you have a fever!"
"Ah, I've been feeling a bit under the weather... but I'm fine. How have you been, Nicole?"
"Is she family?"
Alice asked as she gathered the dishes onto a tray. Echinacea nodded.
"She's as good as family. Nicole, this is my roommate, Alice Winterbell."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Alice Winterbell."
"Hello, I'm Nicole Sizton."
The two exchanged greetings awkwardly. Then Alice stood with the tray and spoke.
"Then please, the two of you talk. I'll go do my evening training."
"Oh, Alice, there's no need to——"
"I'll be back around ten. Have a good time, Echinacea."
Alice smiled brightly, gathered her sword, and left. Echinacea thanked her with an embarrassed expression. Nicole, watching the scene unfold, gave Echinacea a knowing smile.
"A friend?"
"...Perhaps."
"Perhaps? What do you mean, perhaps? When I heard you were entering the Military Academy, I was honestly quite worried. But seeing that you've even made a friend, it looks like you're doing well."
"The way you say it, it sounds like I've never had a single friend until now."
"Well, those young ladies can hardly be called friends, can they? Right?"
Echinacea had nothing to say and closed her mouth. The young ladies Nicole spoke of were noble daughters of her own age who half-obligatorily held tea parties and attended each other's gatherings.
They weren't on bad terms, but there was a distance that prevented them from being called true friends. One misstep would inevitably become gossip in high society, so they were all cautious with one another. For Echinacea, who had now lived fifteen more years, she could barely remember them at all.
"But why did you catch a cold? And you've lost weight too. Is wielding a sword really that exhausting?"
"No, I'm fine. I just had to push myself a bit. I'm resting now, so it'll pass soon."
"All right, you know best. You're not a child anymore. ...And the Demonic Sword?"
Nicole lowered her voice considerably as she asked. Echinacea removed her gloves and showed her right palm.
"It's the same as always. Don't worry, I'm fine."
"...Well, that's a relief. Since you're safe, no one else has found out, right?"
[They found out! That big guy found out! He found out!]
Demonic Sword, be quiet. Echinacea thought to herself and answered calmly. She didn't want to give Nicole anything else to worry about here.
"No one found out. Oh, I saw your telegram—you came as an escort, right? The distinguished guest you escorted is... the Diasant Princess? She came to get engaged to Commander Yurien de Harden Kirie?"
"That's right. Looks like the rumors have already spread."
Nicole nodded and pulled her teacup toward herself. Echinacea naturally poured tea into her cup. The old Echinacea would never have thought to pour tea—that was a servant's job. Reflecting on how much she had changed in so many ways, Nicole took a sip of her tea.
I swallowed the question I was about to ask and posed a different one instead.
"Did you volunteer for this escort specifically to visit Agenka?"
"Yes. I volunteered to the Mage Tower to provide a mage for the mission. But I didn't volunteer solely to see you."
"Then?"
Nicole glanced around the room. She set down her teacup, then traced her fingers through the air as if drawing an invisible picture, whispering a quiet incantation. I sensed mana radiating from her, enveloping the space around us. It felt like a barrier of some kind.
"I've cast a spell so our voices won't leak out."
When I rolled my eyes, Nicole responded. She interlaced her fingers and rested her hands on the table. Her murky green eyes held a heavy light behind her monocle.
"Echinacea, listen carefully. I'm about to tell you something important."
"Things you discovered while tracing the origin of the Demonic Sword?"
"Exactly. First, the most critical matter right now: the engagement between Captain Yurien de Harden Kirie and the Diasant Princess must absolutely come to pass. It's the safest path for the Loaz Count Family."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"There are those who would kill the Princess herself to prevent this engagement. That's why I volunteered for the escort. Even if they say it's a mage from the Mage Tower, there's no guarantee they're not part of that faction. Besides, I wanted to meet you and tell you about this."
I stared at Nicole with a blank expression. She wore a bitter smile.
"Echinacea, excluding His Imperial Majesty, who are the direct imperial relatives now?"
"Huh? The imperial family... Well, there's the Crown Prince, and since Captain Yurien de Harden Kirie is the 3rd Prince, there must be a 2nd Prince above him..."
"What is the Crown Prince's name?"
"Um, Cruien de Harden Kirie. Is that right?"
"That's correct. Then do you know what the Crown Prince's specialty is?"
"..."
"What is the 2nd Prince's name?"
"...I don't know."
"Everyone's the same. Impressions of the other direct imperial relatives are vague. But everyone knows about the 3rd Prince, Captain Yurien de Harden Kirie. You could stop any random passerby—whether they're from the Empire or a foreign land—and some would even know at what age he became a Master."
It was an undeniable truth. The youngest Master, the youngest captain of the Changtian Knights, an imperial prince, the wielder of the Holy Sword Langiosa, and on top of that, a beautiful appearance and several legendary tales. Yurien de Harden Kirie possessed far too many elements to capture people's attention.
Nicole leaned her head closer to me and continued.
"Everyone remembers only Captain Yurien de Harden Kirie and focuses their attention on him alone. Their impressions of the other imperial relatives fade. Because Captain Yurien de Harden Kirie shines far too brightly."
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